Students reneging on ED acceptances more than in past?

Juno16
Wed, 19 Jan 2022 19:52:04 +0000

I’ll probably get flagged again for going off topic but since we are already so far off topic here goes: ED also works for those of us who will get more in need aid than we will in merit (leaving aside the rare full tuition or full ride scholarships). My D was accepted to an EA school with very high merit ($36,000 per year, total of $144,000 over 4 years) but our need is higher than that (FAFSA EFC of around $16K, rises to around $19K or so at CSS schools, plus GSL & work study). Our state flagship costs more than that as well, so a meets all need private LAC was the hands’ down winner financially for us, as well as in terms of fit. ED was a great opportunity for her - she was able to apply to her top choice, hear early and know ahead of time that, assuming the NPC was accurate, that we had already made the assessment that we could make it work. Our finances are not especially complicated - no non-custodial parent, no family-owned business, so we trusted the NPC and were not disappointed (final pkg actually came in a bit better than the estimate). So, I would turn it around as to who does ED NOT work for. It does not work for those who have an EFC higher than they can pay and who might get to a number they are comfortable with by applying more widely and waiting to see what they get offered. But for anyone who has a clear first choice and is comfortable with the number the NPC spits out, ED works. For those with higher need it is unlikely that merit aid will come in higher than the need-based aid and ED ups their chances - at least a little - of getting accepted to a needs’ based school. I know that high need is a bit unusual on CC or at least among those who post a lot, but I know what our family income is and how it compares to the US median household income, and our family experience is way more indicative of the majority of households. Of course that does assume a student with the stats to get into a meets need school, but that is a whole other discussion.